Monday, August 31, 2015

Don't Be a Drag

So my new Women & Hollywood column should come out today. And this time I’m writing about some of the most significant trans women characters in film. Now, I’d like to note that “significant” does not mean “great,” “best” or “positive.” It means significant, as in worthy of attention for one reason or another. It’s a list of 10 film, dating back 40 years. But, unfortunately, I was not able to squeeze in Judy from “Better Than Chocolate.” I always thought it was a rather well-written role for a film that was – let’s admit it – a little uneven. And it was one of the first films I’ve seen that showed a trans woman in the lesbian community. Sure, it was not perfect, and not casting an actual trans woman in the role was one of its biggest shortcomings. (Though, hey, did you know Judy was played by Peter Outerbridge who you may recognize from a little show called “Orphan Black” as the leader of the Prolethean brotherhood?) Anyway, this song was always a favorite because it was a very clear declaration of self. So here it is again for your viewing enjoyment.

And, if you have a chance, pop on over to Women & Hollywood later today and tell me what you think.

2 comments:

I am of an older generation of dykes for whom this film was bloody Shakespeare compared to horrific Claire of the Moon. (But there were so few representations available we went to see the all!) Also, as a Canadian viewer living in East Van, I enjoyed that it featured a lot of familiar faces and places. The lyrics of the song sung by Peter Outerbridge are incredibly poignant.